<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>from the bottom of my heart i’ll miss you by solamaryllis</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28235214">from the bottom of my heart i’ll miss you</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/solamaryllis/pseuds/solamaryllis'>solamaryllis</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>remnants of a story [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>RWBY</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Death, F/F, Spoilers, Things from Tumblr, Trauma, Unresolved Trauma, Violence, Yangst, big death, big sad, def spoilers for volume eight, the whole gang - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 16:54:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,186</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28235214</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/solamaryllis/pseuds/solamaryllis</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>all she could was scream. <br/>there was nothing she could do but scream as everything she held most dear burned away. <br/>she was gone. <br/>and when the realization hit—she kept screaming. </p><p> </p><p>will contain (possible) spoilers for volume 8</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>remnants of a story [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2068404</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>64</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>144</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. from the bottom of my heart</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>okay this hurt like hell.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Based entirely off of<a href="https://thunder-kate.tumblr.com/post/638154938014449664/you-can-hear-blake-screaming-her-name"> this</a> tumblr post.</p>
<hr/>
<p></p><div class="">
  <p>Oh.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Oh no. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Blake leaned out of the open airship door, squinting as she tried to place Yang in the mass of Grimm near Monstra’s mouth. She felt her hands shake as she looked around, scanning the area once, twice, again, and still couldn’t see the distinctive yellow mane of hair.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“No...NO!” </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Her head snapped to the side as she heard Ruby’s yell, seeing Weiss’ glyph form under Ruby’s feet forced her to look back out towards the battlefield - if you could call it more than carnage - and look again for yellow.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>She still couldn’t see it. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>She could hear Ruby and Weiss arguing with Winter in the background, Nora still back at the manor being treated. If she bothered, she could make out what they were saying, but she was too busy scanning the area. She had to be out by now, there wasn’t much for her to be doing.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>She needed to be out, Blake needed to know if she was okay.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“NO YOU CAN’T, SHE’S STILL IN THERE, THEY’RE ALL IN THERE! YANG! JAUNE! REN! YAAAANGGGG!”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Ruby fought against the glyph but she just kept forming and reforming inside the glyph, unable to break free. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Winter, Winter what’s going on? WINTER!”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Blake stormed over but Weiss was in a staring contest with her sister, and Winter responded without looking up. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“General Ironwood thought sending a bomb into Monstra was the best course of action, and they volunteered to take it in, and look for Oscar while they were at it. It was that or jail, and they were already in custody and I’m willing to turn a blind eye at letting them off of the airship in the first place.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Blake was nearly blind with rage. It took her no time at all to realize what Winter was implicating. What Ironwood had ordered her to do, and she had pawned off to Yang, Jaune, and Ren. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>She’d sent them to die in her stead.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Though she knew full well it was them or Winter, she was still incensed. These were people she had fought with, fought for, and she’d be damned if she lost them. If she lost Yang. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“So you pawned off your order to them because you knew it was a death sentence. It’s hell to get close, much less inside. Which coincidently, is purely Salem’s domain. You sent them to death. You have robots you could fly, walk, whatever. BUT YOU INSISTED ON USING PEOPLE, AND NOW ONE OF THE MOST UNDESERVING GROUPS IS BEING SENTENCED-”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Blake cut herself off, taking a few steps from Winter lest she give the woman a reason to glyph her to the spot, like Ruby who was still struggling.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>The bomb. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Blake inhaled sharply, her breathing and heart rate accelerating.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“When does it go off.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Miss Belladonna, I do not-”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Winter Schnee, I will tear you a new one and make sharing a cell with your father your comfort. When. Does. It. Go. Off.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Winter’s gaze flickered to Blake at the threat, though Blake knew she most likely couldn’t follow through with putting her in the same cell as her father, she’d make it as close as possible.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“In twenty seconds.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Everything froze.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Her gaze flickered downward, and she was slightly surprised there wasn’t a time dilation glyph trapping her because it was the exact same feeling. Coupled with dread, an urge to vomit, and unadulterated fear. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>A fear she hadn’t felt this strongly since Beacon.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Not since Beacon.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>The airship touched down and Blake was out the door before people could react, leaving a clone to gain herself a few extra seconds and to minimize her chances of getting trapped. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>She’d only made it a few meters when arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her back - hard.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“NO, YANG!”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>She squirmed against the arms, turning towards her holder, trying to see who was stopping her from helping Yang, or at least, joining her. Yang shouldn’t die, of all people Yang had suffered enough, she didn’t deserve to die, not Yang, not her, no, nononono-</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Blake screamed again, flailing and punching what she could reach. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Blake, Blake stop, please, it’s too late, you can’t help, it’s up to her!”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Marrow kept a strong grip on her, preventing her from moving forward, from saving, from dying-</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“NO, LET ME GO, YANG! <strong><em>YANG!</em></strong>”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Monstra blew.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Blake screamed with everything she had.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <h2>“<em><strong>YANG!</strong></em>”</h2>
</div><div class="">
  <p>She screamed for the words she’d never say, the lives they’d never share, the family <em>she’d</em> left behind, the undeserving price <em>she’d </em>just paid.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>She screamed because that’s all she could do. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>She screamed because there was nothing she could do.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Marrow held onto her, refusing to budge even an inch, knowing the area was still dangerous and that Blake was far, far from a good headspace.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Blake, please, she’s gone.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“NO, NO SHE CAN’T BE SHE CAN’T-”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Blake please, think of Ruby. Do it for Ruby, Weiss. They lost her too. Though not in quite the same way, please, think of them.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“NO, YANG, YAAAAAANNNGGGGGG! DON’T YOU DARE LEAVE ME LIKE THIS, YOU SELFLESS BLONDE! PLEASE, NO! YOU <em>PROMISED</em>, YOU <em><strong>PROMISED</strong></em>!”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Her screeches and wails were lost in the wind and among the fading wails of dying Grimm.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Blake slowed her movements. Ruby. Ruby just lost a sister, Weiss lost her best friend, but-</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Stay. For them. I know you want to run, but for them, stay. I’m going to let go, and I won’t make you, but please <em>stay</em>.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Marrow let go of her and she fell immediately to the floor, barely bracing herself as the burning remnants of Grimm rained around her in a morbid shower.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Yang had once asked her what she wanted her first date to be like. Blake had cited one of her favorite books, where the couple does dinner and a park stroll before ultimately kissing under the rain. Cliche, she knew, but she wanted it. It was a fantasy of hers she one day wished she could make true.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>But now, as embers rained and Blake screamed a silent scream, a scream that embodied only a sliver of her pain and tears streamed down her face in an unstoppable torrent-</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Blake knew, deep down, it’d <s>forever </s>remain a fantasy.</p>
</div>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. i'll miss you</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>there will be an alternate of this. soon.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Shit. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span><em>Shit.</em> </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yang sprinted through the corridors, cursing under her breathe the massive size of Monstra. And the Mimic that they were desperately trying to avoid as the group weaved their way around the Grimm, trying to make it back to the exit point before the bomb they had managed to get Emerald to sneak into the so-called throne room Salem spent most of her time in blew. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She wasn’t entirely sure what the charges were in the two large packages Winter had handed her before Jaune, Ren, and herself left the airship, and she didn’t stick around to ask, but she had the inkling that it was much more than it looked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She stumbled and Ren crashed into her from his position behind her and Jaune looked behind him to see what all the commotion was about, nearly stumbling himself and dropping Oscar in the process. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yang, Ren, you guys alright?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shut up! Noises can be heard through the illusion!” came Emerald’s panic-laced whisper from the front of the group, and Yang briefly wondered why they had her leading the way out, then remembered that she was the one who knew the pathways best. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, <em>ma’am</em>, okay! Just, how much farther is it? We don’t have much time before those go off and I don’t want to be inside when they do.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not much, just keep moving!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It felt like they’d been running forever, even though it couldn’t have been for more than five to ten minutes at most. Yang thought back to her mental timer and panicked when she realized there were less than three minutes left. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Em, I don’t know if there’s a faster way, but fuck caution we need to run.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Blondie, I would prefer to escape in one piece and not be hauled off by a Mimic-” began Emerald’s retort before the very thing that they had gone to great lengths to avoid, even looping back around a couple of times, rounded the corner in front of them, its tendrils looping around and waving on some invisible breeze, almost like flowers on a field. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yang shook her head to clear her mind of the stupid references it was pulling up, any longer and she’d be thinking about Blake again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Blake.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Just thinking of her name made her heart twist painfully in her chest, nearly causing her to stumble once more. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She knew it wasn’t looking good, and though she didn’t want to, her mind had started creating scenarios where she didn’t make it out of this godsforsaken whale - event which was becoming more and more likely as they lost precious time skirting around the Mimic and walking silently until it was out of sight, until Yang’s internal timer started screaming.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She had forty seconds.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They had forty seconds. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ren pulled up beside her, both of them making eye contact. Yang took one look at his face and knew, she knew he’d been counting too, she knew that he was aware of just how much time they did not have. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She started cursing under her breath. What did she expect, this was a mission ordered by Ironwood. Hell, the only reason they’d made it as far as they had was that they found Emerald sneaking Oscar out about halfway through their initial entry. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Emerald, fuck caution. Less than a minute.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Emerald’s steps faltered before she looked back at Yang, staring at her for a few seconds before seeing something that convinced her of Yang’s truth. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jaune, you’re gonna have to fight if we see a Mimic. Gimme Oscar, I’m faster.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jaune didn’t look phased at the dig but instead handed Yang Oscar as carefully as he could, almost - but not quite - like a mother handing off her child.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They had slowed considerably during this exchange and now took off at full speed, pushing their bodies, calling on their aura. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her internal timer said twenty seconds. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She pulled out her scroll and pressed it to her ear as she ran, swinging Oscar onto her shoulder in a fireman’s carry, and he didn’t complain much. Jaune had boosted him as much as he could, which is possibly why he had lived this long. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She called Blake, and though she knew the call currently wouldn’t go through, she knew she could still reach voicemail. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She could still say goodbye. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ten seconds. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Blake Belladonna, leave a message after the tone stating your name and reason for calling. Have a wonderful day.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yang’s vision blurred at hearing Blake’s voice, knowing that was all she’d get. Maybe she could give closure, certainty, though she was fairly confident the faunus already knew.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, it’s Yang Xiao Long, and I’m calling because this...this isn’t going well, and I’m scared, I’m more scared than I’ve ever been, and I needed to hear you one last time. I needed to say I’m sorry. I’m sorry for failing. This isn’t your fault, or Ruby’s or Weiss’ and please take care of Ruby for me, since I’m bailing on her. Sorry about that sis. I’m sorry for not thinking this through, but hold on to your sister Weiss, and be the sister to Ruby that I’m not gonna be anymore...and Blake,” her voice cracked, and tears began streaming down her face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Oscar turned into Ozpin and started talking to Ren, who was yelling and saying more words than Yang had ever heard him say, Jaune’s voice interjecting at times between poorly disguised sobs. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So Jaune had been counting too. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Emerald ran harder and they rounded a bend to see light. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They were almost out. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She continued her voicemail, even as the timer in her head counted its final five.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Blake I’m sorry I never took you to dinner, and we never walked in the park until morning, and I never kissed you in the rain. I’m sorry…” Four. her voice cracked again and as the group neared the mouth of the whale, Yang heard her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She could hear the group screaming, Ruby faintly, Weiss arguing, but closest was-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Blake. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Three.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She blinked hard and cleared her vision enough to see her and a small smile flitted across her lips. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Even if the gods were bastards, they had granted her this. The opportunity to see </span>
  <em>
    <span>her </span>
  </em>
  <span>one last time. Her heart twisted at the screams, she hated being the cause of her pain. Blake screamed her name, and Yang nearly sobbed, the agony with which Blake cried, she wanted to yell but knew she didn’t have enough strength to be loud enough for Blake to hear her. Blake screamed again and Yang almost lost it right then and there. But she had to finish her message first. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Two.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry I never told you I love you. Because I do. I love you, Blake Belladonna. Forever and always. From the bottom of my heart, I’ll miss you, and I’m sorry, Yang Xiao Long.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>One.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was just a rumble at first, then white-hot fire, then screams from all directions - <em>or was that just her</em> - then nothing.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. msg and alt</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>so this is the msg and alt where yang lives but im not gonna get into it bc im rllllllllly behind on this one thing thats due in like—two days. </p>
<p>hope you enjoy! leave ideas in the comms, i’ll get to them eventually (when my frens remind me)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Nothing.</p>
<p>Just nothing. </p>
<p>That was all Blake felt as Marrow essentially dragged her back towards the airship, Ruby’s harrowed screaming and bursts of silver, invading her senses, drowning out the screeches of Grimm, the scream that she wasn’t sure was real, the scream she heard that she could have sworn was Yang.</p>
<p>But Blake also knew how trauma worked, and she knew it was more than likely that her brain had snapped, even if momentarily, to create some way to soothe the hemorrhaging wound on her soul. She knew she had to fight, she had to figure out how to destroy the monsters behind this, had to get rid of Salem, but for more than a moment, she understood.</p>
<p>What would she give to hold Yang in her arms right now? Even for a moment, what would she sacrifice, would she give people she didn’t know just for more time? </p>
<p>It was around then when her brain kicked into high gear and she knocked those thoughts out of her head and focused more on consoling what was left of Ruby. Even though they had their occasional disagreements, they were still sisters, and Yang had raised Ruby after everyone else had left them, and to see your closest family go out like that-</p>
<p>Blake couldn’t imagine her specific pain, but knew something similar, just like Ruby couldn’t imagine hers. Weiss had an entirely different sort of love, and a different dilemma. She had lost a sister, due to another sister, and the conflict that was sure to cause made her head throb. They had all just lost a large piece of them, slightly different but painful all the same.</p>
<p>Weiss had released Ruby after Monstra blew and was just holding her as the brunette screamed, cursed, and sobbed. Blake collapsed next to Weiss, who took one look at her and extended a hand to draw her into the little huddle they had formed. </p>
<p>They were in so much pain but there was no time to sit and talk through things, to learn how to live with the newfound holes in their life. They had a big bad to get rid of, to put it succinctly. </p>
<p>Time passed, they buried their feelings, they pretended like they had begun to move on, to heal, though all of them were still seeking comfort. </p>
<p>There were times where Blake swore up and down that she’d seen Yang, out of the corner of her eye, that Ren was with her. </p>
<p>After the third time Weiss pulled her aside and gave her a stern lecture, before in thinly veiled words telling her to fuck off with her thoughts of seeing Yang. It didn’t matter if they were right or not, but until she had either concrete evidence, or Yang herself, she needed to keep her thoughts to herself, because although Weiss could keep it together, Ruby wasn’t. </p>
<p>And so Blake stopped mentioning the times where she swore on the gods she saw a distinctive mane of yellow, a laugh sounding through the battlefield before a fight shifted in their favor just slightly, before a feeling of comfort washed over her.</p>
<p>She blamed it on the trauma, there was no way Yang had survived. </p>
<p>After the nightmare that was Atlas, and pushing towards Vacuo in an attempt to keep it together before havoc was wrecked, they managed to repair the Amity Colosseum and get it back in the air. </p>
<p>As the women watched it go back up, Penny hovered around it, making sure it made it to the point it was supposed to, and <em> stayed </em>there. It seemed like a lot of what they had fought for was finally coming together. There was just one last push to make and then, then just maybe, they could breathe. </p>
<p>She kept hearing her name, but the voice, oh the voice, it was one she had resigned herself to hear in her dreams and in the videos on their scrolls from Beacon. </p>
<p>It was Yang’s. </p>
<p>Blake wrapped her arms around herself as her eyes watered. So many people had come and gone, so many gruesome images seen - it was war after all - but the thought of her sunshine still made her tear up quite like nothing else. </p>
<p>She heard Ruby and Weiss turn towards her, but she wasn’t listening. </p>
<p>She wasn’t really there anymore. She was once again walking down her mind palace, reminiscing. The memories didn’t hurt that much anymore, though they’d always hurt, at least a little. </p>
<p>Weiss placed her hand on Blake’s shoulder, startling her a bit and bringing her back. Ruby eyed her cautiously, and Blake immediately fell under her watchful gaze, though unsure why. </p>
<p>“W-what?”</p>
<p>“Did you hear that?”</p>
<p>Blake eyed Weiss, uncertain if she was supposed to answer Ruby’s question truthfully. The glare Weiss sent in her direction answered that for her. </p>
<p>“I’m not sure what you’re talking about, so no, most likely.”</p>
<p>And Weiss’ look morphed into one of thankfulness. </p>
<p>
  <em>bzzt, bzzt. bzzt, bzzt.</em>
</p>
<p>Blake looked at her scroll in confusion. It was nighttime in Menagerie, and the only other people who’d call were near her, or in the vicinity…</p>
<p>She fished her scroll out of her pocket, before dropping it as if it was on fire. </p>
<p>Ruby picked it up before Blake could, and her remark died in her mouth as she saw what was on the screen before Blake could take it back. </p>
<p>“Amity being back up-”</p>
<p>“Sent all pending messages.”</p>
<p>Weiss carefully held her hand out and Ruby placed the scroll in it, still staring intently. </p>
<p>“The date...it’s <em>that</em> day.”</p>
<p>The two women’s gaze snapped to Ruby who spoke hopefully, both knowing it was a terrible idea, but having the same thought anyway. </p>
<p>“Weiss, press it.”</p>
<p>“Blake, she sent this to you, are you sure?”</p>
<p>Blake could only nod, the thought of hearing Yang’s voice again after so long taking away her ability to function. </p>
<p>Weiss took a deep breath before pressing play and haggard breathing filling the air around them. </p>
<p>All three women started at the sound of their names being called from somewhere near them, but when they looked around they couldn’t identify one singular caller. They turned back to the scroll, where Yang’s voice had begun to emanate from. </p>
<p>“<em>Hey, it’s Yang Xiao Long, and I’m calling because this...this isn’t going well, and I’m scared, I’m more scared than I’ve ever been, and I needed to hear you one last time</em>.” </p>
<p>Blake was on the floor. She had dreamed of a moment like this for so long, actually experiencing it had her in pieces. Looking up, she saw Ruby was in much of a similar state, desperately clinging to Weiss to keep her standing. </p>
<p>“Yang…”</p>
<p>“<em>I needed to say I’m sorry. I’m sorry for failing. This isn’t your fault, or Ruby’s or Weiss’ and please take care of Ruby for me, since I’m bailing on her. Sorry about that sis. I’m sorry for not thinking this through, but hold on to your sister Weiss, and be the sister to Ruby that I’m not gonna be anymore...and Blake</em>,”</p>
<p>They were all on the floor, in tears, holding in silent sobs as they desperately tried to hear <em> her </em>voice over their nearly uncontrolled crying. </p>
<p>“<em>Blake I’m sorry I never took you to dinner, and we never walked in the park until morning, and I never kissed you in the rain. I’m sorry…</em>” </p>
<p>The voice that kept calling their names kept getting closer and Blake snapped her head around, but still didn’t see anything.</p>
<p>Yang’s voice cracked and Blake lost it. Tears streamed down her face and her breath hiccuped. Ruby crawled into her arms and they held each other as Weiss held them. </p>
<p>She remembered the day she’d told Yang this, on a trip down to the weaponry, where Yang had been peppering her with questions to bring up her mood after another argument with upperclassmen over race. </p>
<p>She remembered the look Yang had gotten on her face, the faraway look of her thinking. Later, she’d thought that Yang had forgotten about it entirely. Her heart cracked as she realized the woman hadn’t. </p>
<p>Her sobs became audible as she heard her screams in the background of the call and Yang’s sharp inhale as she undoubtedly heard her. </p>
<p>The pain she must have felt. </p>
<p>Her head was in her hands and she heard her name being called again but it was Yang’s voice so she didn’t even look up as another pair of arms wrapped around her shoulders. All she could do was cry. </p>
<p>The voicemail continued and the arms around her wrapped tighter. </p>
<p>“<em>I’m sorry I never told you I love you. Because I do. I love you, Blake Belladonna. Forever and always. From the bottom of my heart, I’ll miss you, and I’m sorry, Yang Xiao Long.”</em></p>
<p>There was a second of pure agonized screams before the voicemail cut out and the only cries you could hear were the ones of the women who weren’t doing as well as they thought they had been and had ignored what made them such an awesome team in the first place—leaning on each other. The pair of arms around her shoulders tightened and a voice spoke up. </p>
<p>“I was hoping I could find you before you heard that. Maybe I could tell you in person, yanno?”</p>
<p>The women shot up, Blake with a speed that would rival even Ruby. </p>
<p>But her eyes weren’t deceiving her. There in all her glory, granted with way more scares and a side shave that showed excessive scarring on the side of her face tendrils snaking their way down her side, was Yang Xiao Long. </p>
<p>Ruby didn’t hesitate before plowing into Yang and tackling her in a hug, words and tears streaming down her face. Weiss got up and smothered Yang in a hug, burying her face in Yang’s hair for a few minutes, before making her way over to where she’d noticed Jaune and Ren, and Blake assumed she’d take them to Nora. </p>
<p>Yang looked up at her and stretched out an arm, and Blake curled into her without a second thought. </p>
<p>This feeling was one she missed so dearly. It felt like coming home. Ruby gave her sister a squeeze before zipping off to Jaune, Ren, and Oscar, who now used Oz’s old cane like he actually needed it. </p>
<p>“Yang-“</p>
<p>“Save the questions for later, we’ll tell the story once. It’s long, and it ain’t pretty, honey.”</p>
<p>Blake nodded, tears streaming down her face as she clutched Yang’s shirt, determined she wasn’t going to let her go again. </p>
<p>“I know you have questions, and I’ll promise I’ll get to them, but now that I’m here, I know, I know, I have a <em> lot </em> to make up for, but just let me say, from the bottom of my heart, I love you.”</p>
<p>Blake looked into lilac eyes, one dull-ish and the other bright. She had so much she wanted to know, but for how she’d revel in the fact she had Yang back. </p>
<p>“I love you too. So, so much. But don’t you ever <em> think </em> of doing <em> anything </em> like that <b> <em>again</em> </b>!” </p>
<p>Yang chuckled then massaged the spot in her shoulder where Blake had punched her. </p>
<p>“Blakey, I won’t plan on it. But one thing I do plan on, is taking you on a date, and wandering a park, and kissing you in the rain, and then sitting through Weiss’ lecture of how we’re gonna catch a cold.”</p>
<p>Blake smiled, and hugged Yang close. She wasn’t letting go anytime soon, and Yang noticed. She stood up, carefully cradling Blake, before making her way over to the others. </p>
<p>Blake knew there was a long road in front of her, but with her sunshine by her side, maybe it wouldn’t be so lonely anymore.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>*ignores plot holes*</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i'm spitballing.</p></blockquote><div class="children module" id="children">
  <b class="heading">Works inspired by this one:</b>
  <ul>
    <li>
        <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28351290">Losing My Family</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/noramora16/pseuds/noramora16">noramora16</a>
    </li>
  </ul>
</div></div></div>
</body>
</html>